Wally's Choice ($3.60) didn't disappoint his many backers in the crowd of 11,872 at Canterbury Park, besting nine statebred foes to capture the $40,000 Blair's Cove Stakes.

Roscoe Pito shook off the heavily favored Norm's Nephew turning for home, then staved off the closing charge of Confidential Call to win the $40,000 Independence Day Handicap by a half-length in 1:41.40 for the 1 1/16 miles. Random Memo got up for third, while Norm's Nephew faded to sixth in the field of seven older runners.

PLEASANTON, Calif. - "Girls rule," an exultant Phil Lebherz yelled to cheering fans as he entered the Alameda County Fair winner's circle Sunday.

Lebherz and partner George Schmitt had plenty of reason to celebrate. Sharoana, a filly they own, had just beaten males, capping a big week for female runners, particularly 2-year-olds, in the first week of racing at Pleasanton.

Sharoana's trainer, Jeff Bonde, had reason to be just as excited as Lebherz. Sharoana's victory in the Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity capped a big weekend for Bonde, a Pleasanton resident.

Live racing was canceled after the sixth race at River Downs on Tuesday because of a thunderstorm. Herb Clark, a state steward, said: "We had a conversation with the jockeys and the horsemen, and for the safety of everyone involved with the lightning in the area that didn't look like it was passing, we decided to cancel the last three races."

River Downs will be closed for live racing on Wednesday, but will race Thursday with the first post of 1 p.m.

AUBURN, Wash. - Roscoe Pito shook off the heavily favored Norm's Nephew turning for home, then staved off the closing charge of Confidential Call to win Monday's $40,000 Independence Day Handicap by half a length in 1:41.40 for the 1 1-16 miles. Random Memo got up for third, while Norm's Nephew faded to sixth in the field of seven older runners.

Bossier City, La - Commander Buck set a quick pace and stayed on well down the stretch to win Monday's $75,000 Independence Handicap at Louisiana Downs. The race, originally scheduled to be run at a mile and a sixteenth over the John Franks Turf Course, was moved to the main track following an intense rainstorm earlier in the program. Erroneous I D finished second, a length and a quarter behind the winner and five and a half-lengths in front of third place finisher Slade. Turf specialists Northern Scene, Tromp and Waupaca were scratched.

ELMONT, N.Y. - It was harder than it was supposed to be, but Behaving Badly made a triumphant homecoming in Monday's $155,700 at Belmont Park.

Finding herself off the pace despite modest early fractions, Behaving Badly outclassed her three rivals to post a half-length victory over Swap Fliparoo in the Grade 2 Genuine Risk. Stormy Kiss, who set the early pace, finished third, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Khalila.

Prince Faisal bin Salman hasn't yet come close to the racing achievements of his late brother, Ahmed, whose Thoroughbred Corp. won two legs of the Triple Crown in back-to-back years with Point Given and War Emblem.

But Prince Faisal has done well with several horses he has sent to America, most prominently Olaya, who won the Grade 2 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct last fall.

Horse-for-the-course Who's the Cowboy won for the seventh time in 15 starts at Monmouth Park when he scored by 1 3/4 lengths over Hey Chub in Monday's $60,000 Colts Neck Handicap.

A 4-year-old gelding ridden by Eddie King Jr. for trainer Kevin Sleeter, Who's the Cowboy ($6.40) collared the pacesetting 8-5 favorite Hey Chub a quarter-mile into the six-furlong race for New Jersey-breds, quickly opened up by 1 1/2 lengths, and remained in command through the stretch. Why Oh Why finished third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Hey Chub.

Who's the Cowboy covered the distance in 1:09.09.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Stole One, a Kentucky-bred mare owned by Ole Nielsen and Lola McCarthy, restated her preference for sprints here in last Saturday's Wild Rose Handicap at Northlands Park.

Stole One successfully defended her title in the 6 1/2-furlong Wild Rose by stalking the pace-setting Ice Girl and handily subduing her for a 1 1/4-length victory.